


We Don't Just Survive, We Live

by transboypeteparker



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Fluff and Angst, M/M, mostly angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 12:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18620563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transboypeteparker/pseuds/transboypeteparker
Summary: The world has ended. The dead have risen. Everyone he knows have either joined the ranks of the undead or have ended up with a bullet to the head. He’s alone. No, that’s not quite right. Rhodey. He still has his Rhodey.





	We Don't Just Survive, We Live

The world has ended. The dead have risen. Everyone he knows have either joined the ranks of the undead or have ended up with a bullet to the head. He’s alone. No, that’s not quite right. Rhodey. He still has his Rhodey. His best friend. His sun. His whole world right now. Rhodey is the only thing keeping him from ending it all. He can’t leave Rhodey all alone in this shit show. He loves him too much for that. So he keeps pushing forward. He scavenges, he tinkers, and he kills zombies. And at night he lays awake listening to Rhodey breathe beside him, stares at the soldier and watches his chest rise and fall with the precious life inside.

They keep each other alive. Before all this, they worked perfectly in sync in the lab, and now they work perfectly in sync in the war zone they call Earth. Tony knows they’re luckier than most. Rhodey was a highly decorated soldier, and Tony was a genius. They survive in this world while others, those who worked dead end jobs and never once thought the world would come to this, were among the first to fall. Those that are left are colder. Those that were raised to survive in a cruel world. Tony thinks he’s one of them. Yes, he was raised the son of wealth, but under his fancy clothes he wore bruises and scars that taught him the true darkness that ruled the world. Maybe he was always meant to end up here, hiding from the dead and guarding his heart from love. 

He’s always cared for Rhodey. They were roommates at MIT, and Rhodey was his first real friend. His oldest friend. His only friend now. But the thing that has grown between since they lost Pepper and Happy and his kid… Peter. Tony can’t allow himself to acknowledge how he feels. It’s too dangerous. Caring for someone isn’t a weakness… but it scares him. If he feels this way, how can he ever deal with the inevitable loss of Rhodey? There’s no end to this, not that they can see. If he truly loves Rhodey in the way his heart tells him, he’s not sure he could ever survive without him.

“Tony,” Rhodey whispers, bringing Tony out of his thoughts. He points to the property they’ve been monitoring for the better part of a day. “What do you think? Worth going in?”

Tony focuses on the building and doesn’t see any lurkers of the dead variety. No other houses for miles. They’ve been walking for who knows how long to get here. He nods.

“Time to face the music.”

“He’s smart,” Rhodey says, trying to stay hopeful. “There aren’t a lot of neighbors here. We haven’t seen many zombies around.”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

They look around one more time before making their way to the property, keeping their bodies low to the ground and allowing the tall grass to provide some cover. They approach the house first, although Tony isn’t optimistic that the person they’re looking for is in there. The windows aren’t boarded up, and they open the door easily enough. It isn’t fortified, not like how Tony imagines he would fortify it. He doesn’t want to think that the kid didn’t survive the first wave. They move through the rooms and fine the kitchen empty. Picked clean. In the bedrooms a few photos adorn the spaces, but they aren’t of people. No picture of a barn either. They find a body in the master bedroom, but it isn’t him. A woman their age, lying under the covers with a hole in her forehead. He must have shot her. So he survived at least the first wave. Rhodey leads them back down the stairs and turns to the front door.

“Wait,” Tony says. “There’s a barn. Hidden from the road, hidden even from here. It’s a smart place to hide. We should check there.”

Rhodey motions for Tony to lead the way. They walk in silence, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any sign of company. Finally they see the barn. It looks much more promising. A tall fence around the structure, and the windows they can see are boarded up so no light can escape. This is where he’s hiding. Tony tries to pull the gate open, but it won’t budge. Good. He reaches into his pocket and brings out something. A limited edition Dora watch. It’s broken. Been broken for years. But he’ll know what it is. He’ll know they’re friends. Tony throws it over the fence, hoping the kid will hear. Footsteps.

“Who are you?” A voice asks. Deeper than Tony remembers.

“A mechanic,” Tony answers.

There’s a pause. He’s thinking. Then they hear the fence unlock, and Tony looks at the kid. He’s taller than he remembers. He’s taller than him now. He looks so different. Tired. Scared. Alive. His kid, Harley Keener.

“Tony?”

“It’s me, kid.”

“What are you doing here?”

“We… we lost everyone. I wanted to see, to check on you. I wanted to know what happened.”

“War Machine?” 

And there it is. The awe and wonder Tony remembers shining in the kid’s eyes when he first met him. It’s good to see that hasn’t completely been lost. Rhodey smiles at Harley when he mentions who he used to be. Back when the worst of their troubles were aliens from outer space.

“You gonna let us in?” Tony asks. “Or are you planning on leaving us to the dead?”

Harley steps aside, closing the fence behind them and leading them to the barn. They see a couple dogs, a few hens, and a small garden occupying the space between the fence and the building. Tony even spies a well in the back corner. The kid’s smart. He’s been surviving better and smarter than the other two. He really is a genius. His genius kid.

“You’ve been doing good.”

“Yeah, well, we live in the middle of nowhere. We kind of had to be self-sufficient… even before we needed to be self-sufficient.”

“Was that your mom? In there?”

The kid nods. He doesn’t say anything else. Tony and Rhodey know what it’s like to have to put loved ones out of their misery.

“And your sister?”

“See for yourself,” Harley replies with the first smile they’ve seen since they found him.

Inside the barn they see a young girl sitting with at least four kittens. She has the same blonde curls and bright blue eyes her older brother has. She smiles when she sees the adults. She probably hasn’t seen a proper adult since her mom died.

“Hey, Savannah,” Harley greets. “This is my friend Tony and his friend…”

“Rhodey.”

She gets up and runs to her brother, wrapping her arms around his leg and peering up at Tony and Rhodey with big eyes full of vulnerability.

“Hi,” she says in a quiet voice. “I’m Savannah.”

Tony crouches in front of her and smiles, extending his hand to shake hers. “Hi, Savannah. It’s very nice to meet you. Do you think it would be okay if my friend and I stayed here with you for a little bit?”

She smiles and nods. “But you have to help feed the kitties and the puppies and the little baby chicks.”

“I think we can handle that, can’t we, Rhodeybear?” He looks back over his shoulder to smile at Rhodey. “What do you say? Wanna feed some baby animals?”

“Sounds fun,” Rhodey says.

Savannah hurries forward to grab Rhodey’s hand. Clearly she wants him to feed the animals with her right now. He allows the small child to drag him back outside, leaving Tony with Harley.

“How long have you two been hiding out here?” Tony asks.

“I don’t know, maybe four months? We spent the first week or so in the house. Mom was too scared to let me come here to the barn. But cars kept driving past. We knew people would try to come into the house. So I started moving stuff here.” Harley leans against a table and crosses his arms, looking down as he remembers his mother. “One of our neighbors came by. We didn’t know, but he was bit. I kept Savannah away from him, just because I wasn’t sure if he was gonna rob us blind and high tail it out of here. He turned when Mom was giving him some food.”

“And he bit her,” Tony guesses, his tone full of sympathy for the teenager. Harley nods. “Same thing happened to us. Happy got bit by someone we were helping out. He bit Pepper before we could, uh, put him down.”

“I had Savannah wait for me downstairs as I put Mom to bed. She had already said her goodbyes. She knew Mom was sick. I tucked Mom into bed and put a bullet in her head.”

“I’m sorry, Harley.”

“It had to be done. Better that than see her like…”

“Yeah.”

Tony looks around the barn and can’t help but be impressed. Seems to be solar panels on the roof, and Harley must have figured out how to make sure everything is self-sustained. The windows are blacked out, and the lights are not too bright. He can see a few beds towards the back of the barn, and various dog beds and cat towers are scattered around amongst the tables filled with Harley’s projects and weapons.

“You really have a good set-up here.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to have to survive on the road with Savannah when we have this barn here. Growing up in the middle of nowhere Tennessee has its perks, I guess. We have eggs, chicken, and we grow our own food. Not too much, but enough to feed us and the animals.” Harley looks at Tony before ducking his head and letting out a small cough. “Do you, uh, want to stay? With us? Here?”

Tony thinks about the months on the road with Rhodey. They could never really sleep soundly at night. There were days on end they went without food. Without water. How Tony had to hold himself back from admitting his true feelings because he was afraid he’d wake up the next morning without Rhodey. Here they could be safe. They could be fed. He could love Rhodey. Was it possible? The barn isn’t some fortress, but it’s safe enough. They could make it safer. Stronger. Three geniuses working on it? They could make it a true home.

“I think we’d like that.”

They have a home now. They have a family. They look after each other. Tony thinks he’s always wanted a life like this. The quiet life. Just him and his family living on a small farm. Granted, he never imagined zombies in the mix, but they don’t bother him. He, Rhodey, and Harley have made their barn a safe haven. The fence, while already strong, is now an impenetrable wall. They build traps for the dead. They live life. Tony falls asleep beside his Rhodey, this time in a bed. He feels himself open up to the idea of falling in love. Maybe he’s already fallen. They have two kids to keep them company. Two kids they take care of. Except they don’t want them to grow up living just like this. Harley and Savannah are smart kids, they deserve to be taught more than how to survive.

“Harley,” Tony says one day as they draw water from the well, “do you have any textbooks?”

“I did, back home. Didn’t think they were really very important to bring with us. Why?”

“You and Savannah spend half your days doing nothing. I think maybe having some sort of… classes? Yeah, classes, could help you both.”

“Honestly, if you told me six months ago that I would miss school, I would have called you insane.” Harley laughs and shrugs. “But, yeah, why not? Could be fun. We can head back to the house and get our textbooks. Could also grab some more of Savannah’s clothes and stuffed animals.”

“We can head over after we finish this. Should tell Rhodey our plan so he doesn’t freak out.”

They bring the water into the barn and see Rhodey reading to Savannah who is sitting beside with her gaggle of growing kittens climbing all over her. Tony feels his heart swell in his chest at the sight. He’s going to tell him. Tell him he’s in love with him. Tonight. They can go up to the hayloft, what has become their bedroom, and he’ll tell him. But now he has a trip to make.

“Harley and I are going to back to the house,” Tony tells Rhodey. “I was thinking we could grab some books, some textbooks, and clothes for Savannah. She’s outgrowing her clothes so fast.”

“Be careful, Tony,” Rhodey says, looking into his eyes. “Remember to keep an eye out.”

“I will, platypus.”

Tony presses a kiss to Rhodey’s cheek before leaving the barn behind Harley. They’ll be back soon with their supplies. Harley is excited to leave their little compound for the first time in months, and Tony is excited thinking about how he’s going to tell Rhodey he’s in love with him tonight. They get to the house and split up, Harley going to get the books and Tony looking for clothes Savannah can wear. He’s upstairs in Harley’s mother’s room when he hears it. Voices. One clearly belongs to Harley, but there’s another with him. He shoves the shirt he’s holding into his backpack and creeps towards the stairs. The voices don’t sound like they’re having a pleasant conversation. He peers over the railing to see some man pointing a gun at Harley. Pointing a gun at his kid.

“Who the fuck are you?” The man demands with a harsh shove of his gun. 

“Whoa, easy. This is my house, okay?” Harley says, holding his hands up to try to calm the guy down.

“I’ve been here a week and haven’t seen you around.”

“I don’t like staying here. That’s my mom upstairs, and… I don’t want to stay in here with her.”

“You’re fat.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t look like me.” He gestures to how his clothes hang baggy on his starved figure. “You look like you’re eating three fucking meals a day. Am I right?”

“Look, there’s no need to get so—“

“Where the fuck are you staying? You gotta stash of food somewhere? Some underground bunker or something?”

“If you want some food, I can—“

“Take me there.”

“I can’t—“

The man’s finger tightens on the trigger of his gun. “I said fucking take me there!”

Tony has to act. He’s not going to let this stranger hurt his kid. He leaps over the railing and pushes Harley out of the way just as the other man jumps and accidentally pulls the trigger. The bullet hits him. That’s the least of their worries. The three humans freeze as they hear it. The shuffling. The moans. The dead heard the shot and are on their way to a feast. Tony and Harley exchange a look. Tony doesn’t like killing other humans, but he’ll do anything for his family. So he lunges for the man’s gun and shoots him in the thigh. Another dinner bell. More moans, these louder than those before.

“Fuck you!” The man screams as Tony grabs Harley’s hand and they make a break for the back door.

They’re running back to the barn, the dead seeming to come from everywhere in their search for their meal. Most of them are drawn to the scent of fresh blood coming from the house, but a few focus on the blood coming from Tony. Harley throws Tony’s arm over his shoulder and helps him as they draw closer to their sanctuary. 

“Rhodey!” Harley screams. “Rhodey, unlock the gate!”

Tony shoots at the dead, pushing Harley through the gate. He kicks one zombie and shoves another that was getting too close before he stumbles after his kid and slams the gate shut, sliding the deadbolt into place. Rhodey runs up to them, fussing over Harley first.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you bit?” He asks frantically as he looks over his kid with laser focus.

“I’m good, I think, but Tony was shot!”

“Fuck, Tony!” Rhodey grabs him and looks at his bullet wound. “We have to get you stitched up, and get some antibiotics into—“

“Don’t,” Tony whispers.

“What?”

“Don’t bother.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Tony? You were just  _ shot _ . If we don’t treat it, it’ll get infected, and you’ll—“

“Die? I’ll die?” Tony lets out a laugh and steps away from Rhodey. He reaches up to pull at his shirt. “I’m already dead.”

Rhodey and Harley freeze when they see what lies beneath Tony’s shirt. There, right at the juncture of Tony’s shoulder and neck, is a bite mark. They can’t treat it, and they can’t cut it off. He’s as good as dead where he stands.

“No,” Rhodey whispers.

“I’m sorry, Rhodeybear. I wasn’t careful enough. I fucked up.”

“It was my fault,” Harley insists. “I let that guy take me by surprise, and—“

“This isn’t your fault, kid,” Tony tells him with a weak smile. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. We thought we were safe. We didn’t pay enough attention, and he got the drop on us.”

Harley rushes forward to hug Tony. He can feel the kid’s tears through his shirt. Tony returns the hug and squeezes him in his arms. This isn’t his fault. He would have done anything to protect his kid. He doesn’t regret his decision. But, looking at Rhodey, he regrets not telling him his feelings before. He heads in to see Savannah, not really sure how he’s going to explain this to her. He holds her in his arms for what seems like hours, cradling as she sobs and refuses to let him go. She doesn’t want to say goodbye to another parent. He doesn’t want to say goodbye to any of them. Finally she falls asleep, and Harley tucks her into bed as Tony and Rhodey retire to the hayloft.

Tony leans his head against Rhodey’s shoulder and shuts his eyes as exhaustion washes over him. It’s happening. Rhodey pulls him onto his lap and wraps his arms around him, keeping him safe as he feels his body slowly give up.

“Promise me you’ll take care of them,” Tony whispers into Rhodey’s chest.

“Of course I will.”

“I was gonna tell you something tonight. Before I went and fucked it all up. I was gonna tell you something.”

“What?”

He can’t find the words as his body starts to convulse. Fuck, he needs to say this! He grips Rhodey’s hand tightly as his soldier places it on his cheeks and strokes the skin with his thumb. Fuck, he loves this man.

“What is it, Tony?”

“I—“ Tony coughs, some blood staining Rhodey’s shirt. “I love you. So much. I’m fucking in love with you, platypus.”

Rhodey leans his forehead against Tony’s as the convulsions get worse. He almost falls out of his arms, but Rhodey refuses to let him go. Then he falls still. A sob gets caught in Rhodey’s throat as he presses a kiss to Tony’s cold lips for the first and last time. He can feel the body start to stir, an inhuman growl growing in Tony’s chest. Rhodey’s hand creeps to the knife at his side.

“I love you too, Tones.”

His fingers wrap around the handle of the knife, and the dead being that had been his Tony just moments before lunges for his throat.

 


End file.
